Australian Police Warn Against Use of Apple Maps Due to Safety Concerns

Police in Victoria, Australia issued a warning to motorists this weekend regarding Apple Maps after several travelers became stranded in the Murray-Sunset National Park trying to reach the city of Mildura using Apple's directions.

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Local Police have been called to assist distressed motorists who have become stranded within the Murray-Sunset National Park after following directions on their Apple i-phone.

Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura.

Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue.

Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.

In Maps, the city of Mildura is listed in the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park, which is actually 70km or 43 miles from the city's actual location. In the photo pictured to the right, the red pin is where Apple lists Mildura, while the purple pin displays Mildura's actual location.

A report from Australia's ABC News reveals that Victoria police have had to rescue a total of six people in the last two months after they became lost using Maps.

After the launch of iOS 6, which included the new Maps application, Apple received criticism over inaccuracies in mapping data like the mislocation in Victoria, which led to the termination of several people involved with the Maps project, including Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall and Maps manager Richard Williamson.

Apple CEO Tim Cook even issued a personal apology to the public over the debacle, promising to improve the app. In his recent interview with Brian Williams, Tim Cook spoke again about Maps, reiterating that Apple "screwed up" and is "putting the weight of the company behind correcting it."

Police in Victoria have contacted Apple about the Maps discrepancy and are warning travelers to use an alternative mapping system until it is fixed.

as much as i like apple, apple maps ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. it might be good for where you're at, but once you start traveling, you will realize how HORRIBLE it is. It has gotten me lost at least 5 times already. So bad that I carry my Garmin with me instead of using the iPhone for directions.

When I heard about Apple Maps sucking during the beta stage of iOS 6, I thought there was no way Apple would release it like that. They did, and they should have waited for iOS 7. Why the huge rush to release it in iOS 6??? Also, this story is HILARIOUS.

A good friend of mine, Pr. Russell Standish, on the way to a preaching engagement in May 2008, was killed, along with the driver, entering a highway in Mildura. If Apple Maps had been around then, perhaps he'd be alive today! How ironic...

If it's life-threatening, definitely needs to be fixed ASAP. As said by someone above, it will be interesting to see how fast it gets fixed. I haven't seen any of my corrections sent to Apple updated in the maps yet.

When I heard about Apple Maps sucking during the beta stage of iOS 6, I thought there was no way Apple would release it like that. They did, and they should have waited for iOS 7. Why the huge rush to release it in iOS 6??? Also, this story is HILARIOUS.

Some people explained that Apple needs "crowd sourcing" to improve its Maps app.

Well, I have reported a wrong POI for ~10 times already and it's still there after a few months.

If it's life-threatening, definitely needs to be fixed ASAP. As said by someone above, it will be interesting to see how fast it gets fixed. I haven't seen any of my corrections sent to Apple updated in the maps yet.

If I was dumb enough to hike on the hill Apple maps suggested when I searched for a restaurant's address, it would be life-threatening as well...

C'mon Apple, Maps needs to be fixed much, much, much quicker than you currently state the ongoing timeline of improvements.

I love using Maps, but find myself saying (to people who don't use an 'i' device, and who remember the terrible publicity back in September), that "I don't really have any problems with the app" & "but Apple's getting their act together and improving the data every day". With news such as this, I feel like I'm wasting my breath!